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A new Nissan LEAF NISMO could be coming — this time with the upgraded model
Nissan is tossing around the idea of a new Nissan LEAF NISMO again, but this time it will be based the newly upgraded version.
Is Nissan launching a new LEAF NISMO EV?
I know, we’ve all heard this one before. Nissan has been talking about launching a LEAF NISMO for years now. And it has released limited edition versions for select markets, but there’s still no production LEAF NISMO available.
According to Christian Spencer, Nissan’s senior marketing manager, there’s a reason for that. Spencer told Carscoops that “The NISMO brand has a lot of variation across the globe.”
He pointed out that in Japan, “NISMO has a lot deeper roots in some of the electric vehicles,”like the Ariya SUV, which is already on sale in Nissan’s home market.
In the US, the brand tries to “focus a little bit more just because the driving enviroment is different.” While Japan gets the NISMO models, Nissan’s performance cars in the US are mostly Z or GT-R versions.
The streets in Japan are smaller and steeper, “so the meaning for NISMO varies a little bit,” Spencer explained. But, he hinted NISMO could make a comeback in the US, starting with the newly upgrade LEAF.
Spencer said that “If we see that demand from the customer base, we’re going to follow it.” Again, this isn’t the first (or likely last) we’ve heard Nissan is planning to launch a LEAF Nismo, but it is for the newly upgraded model introduced this year.
Nissan said the new 2026 LEAF has “the lowest starting MSRP for any new EV currently on sale in the US” starting at just $29,990.
That’s even cheaper than the OG LEAF, launched in 2011 for $32,780 despite the upgrades. The new LEAF now has a new crossover SUV-like design, over 300 miles driving range, and an NACS port to recharge at Tesla Superchargers.
Will it be next in line for the NISMO treatment? It could make for an affordable performance EV to rival the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N or Tesla Model Y. The question is… will it sell?
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